Rituals
by DinosaurTrainFan
Summary: Describes what Grandma and Grandpa Pteranodon do daily, separately and together.


**Rituals-A Dinosaur Train Fanfic**

The first thing Grandpa Pteranodon heard when he woke up was the sound of the waves crashing on the beach below his and his wife's nest, a nest that resided within the colony of pteranodons they lived with. The next sound he heard was his wife snoring in her sleep. Grandpa Pteranodon opened his eyes and saw his wife lying on her side beside him in the nest. Grandma Pteranodon inhaled through her mouth before exhaling and repeating the process all over again. Her chin rested on her hands. Grandpa Pteranodon smiled to himself. He didn't want to disturb his wife from her slumber, so he lay where he was and watched her sleep like he often did every morning. He thought that his wife looked very beautiful while she slept. Heck, he always thought that she looked beautiful. And the sound of her snoring was lovely to listen to as well.

The waves on the beach continued to crash onto the shore, but the sounds weren't enough to drown out Grandma Pteranodon's snoring, much to Grandpa's delight. He listened to and watched her, enjoying every second of it. But alas, Grandma Pteranodon woke up. Her eyes opened very slowly, but when they did, she saw her husband smiling at her and she smiled back.

"Good morning, love of my life." Grandpa Pteranodon said gently.

"Good morning to you as well, my love." Grandma Pteranodon replied. They shared a tender, good morning kiss like they always did every morning. They both slowly sat up and then engaged in their usual morning conversation.

"Did you sleep well?" Grandpa asked.

"Like a baby." Grandma said as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Did you have any pleasant dreams?"

Grandma finished rubbing her eyes and looked at him. "Well, it was pleasant, but in a way, it was also weird."

"Would it be alright if you told me? I'd love to hear it."

"Oh, why of course. I was dreaming that I was flying over the sea, but it didn't seem to end. It just went on and on. But that didn't worry me. If anything, I felt happy. My heart was beating very fast within my chest. I guess flying over that sea was like an endless adventure for me, I was happy that it wasn't going to end."

"Was I there with you?" Grandpa asked.

Grandma thought about it and then shook her head. "No, dear, I'm afraid not. But I glad that I'm awake now, so I can fly over the sea with you by my side."

"Flying with you sounds great, let's do it. Besides it's time that we got breakfast anyway. How does fresh fish sound?"

"Sounds lovely, dear." The two stood up and walked out of their nest and over to the rocky edge of their home. They held hands and looked at each other briefly. "Ready?" Grandpa asked. "Ready! Let's do it, team!" Grandma cried in her coaching voice, which made Grandpa chuckle. They flew up and over the water. "Just like in your dream, huh hun?"

"No, it's better, now that I'm flying beside you." Grandma smiled lovingly at her husband and he did the same at her. They caught and ate a lot of fish that morning before they had had their fill.

* * *

After breakfast, Grandma Pteranodon grabbed a blanket she kept in the cave part of their home in Pteranodon Trails and headed out into the woods behind their home. Eventually she found a tall, grassy hill and walked up it to the top. There she set the blanket down and placed small rocks on all four corners of it. She sat down, crossed her legs into a pretzel, connected the thumb and index claws of each hand together, closed her eyes, and began mediating while she hummed pleasantly to herself. The wind blew gently through the air and here and there a bird could be heard calling. Grandma Pteranodon smiled to herself. This place was so peaceful and quiet, as quiet as it could be. It was her favorite place to mediate near home.

* * *

Meanwhile back at their nest, Grandpa Pteranodon was dusting his nature collection. He dusted off shells, funny-looking rocks, sticks, leaves, and bags containing feathers. He finished dusting his collection and moved on to the one his son made up when he was a kid. As he was dusting, Grandpa wondered how his son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids were doing at this moment. He and Grandma haven't seen them in a little while. "Perhaps another visit should be held; maybe we could invite them here? Ah yes, that sounds like a good idea, a lovely one too! The grandkids have seen the place, but sonny and his wife haven't been here in ages! I bet he'll be happy to see his old childhood collection, I'm sure!" Grandpa chuckled.

* * *

Grandma felt like she was one with nature, maybe even one with the whole universe. She just sat on her blanket and listened to the sounds of the world around her while she mediated, and enjoying it all immensely. Then she heard a voice speaking to her, close by. "Uh, excuse me, hun?" Grandma opened her eyes and looked to her left to see her husband standing next to her blanket. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but you mind if I join you?"

Grandma smiled at him. "Not at all." She moved over on her blanket and patted the spot next to her, inviting him to sit beside her. Grandpa gladly accepted her invitation and slowly sat down beside her. Grandma looked ahead. "Isn't this such a lovely view?" She asked, referring to the tree covered hills up ahead and the mountains in the background. "Indeed, it is.' Grandpa agreed. They sat in silence for a little bit before Grandpa spoke up. "Oh, wait; I just remembered what I came up here to talk about with you! How about we invite our son and his family to our nest for the day? Sonny will be so happy to see his old nature collection from when he was a kid, and he'll tell his family about each thing in it. Then we can all fish and enjoy a delicious meal together on the beach, how's that sound?"

"Why, I think that sounds lovely, dear." Grandma leaned forward and kissed the side of Grandpa's forehead. "You often have the best ideas."

Grandpa chuckled. "Thanks, hun."

They sat together on the blanket and watched the scenery before them for a while. Eventually they heard a rumbling sound and Grandpa discovered that it was his stomach. Then Grandma's stomach rumbled too and they both laughed. "It must be lunch time." Grandpa said.

So the two of them went back to their beach and fished some more.

* * *

Grandma landed back in the nest with her husband after catching some fish. "'l ee, at as a ood atch." (I'll say, that was a good catch.)

Grandpa chuckled.

"Hat es et un?" (What is it, hun?)

Grandpa chuckled again. "Grandma, you still have fish in your mouth." He said, thinking that that was one of the cutest things.

Grandma's eyes looked down and saw that indeed he was right. She spat them out. "Oops, sorry. Bad habit."

Grandpa laughed. "You remind me of our son. After fishing, he sometimes forgot that he had fish in his mouth before he talked."

"Oh yes, indeed he did." Grandma remembered fondly and sighed. "I can't wait to see him again."

"Me too." Grandpa said before he and his wife sat down in the nest.

After they finished eating, Grandma laid her back against the side of the nest and happily sighed as she patted her belly. "That was so good; I don't think I can eat another bite."

"Same here." Grandpa Pteranodon threw his fish skeleton onto the pile beside their nest. Grandma Pteranodon looked at him and smiled. "Say, you know what would be good after a tasty fish lunch?"

"What?" Grandpa asked.

Grandma held up her left foot towards him. "A nice, relaxing foot massage." She said, wiggling her toes.

Grandpa chuckled. He always gave his wife a foot rub after they had lunch or dinner. "Why, of course." He leaned forward to grab her foot and began rubbing it slowly. Grandma closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and sighed pleasantly. "Oh, this is the life." She opened her eyes to look at Grandpa. He was rubbing the sole of her foot before rubbing in between her toes. Then he switched back to rubbing the sole of her foot. "Thank you so much, hun. I always enjoy your foot rubs."

Grandpa looked up and chuckled at her. "Oh, you're welcome. Anything for the most beautiful pteranodon I've ever seen."

Grandma giggled like she was a little girl again.

"I mean it, after all these years; you still look like the most beautiful female pteranodon I've ever met. Your beauty is ageless."

Grandma giggled some more and stared lovingly at him. "And you're still as handsome as the day I first met you."

"Thanks." Grandpa said.

"Don't mention it." Grandma said softly.

Grandpa rubbed both her feet for about fifteen minutes before she told him that that was enough and he stopped. He came over and sat down beside her so that she could rub his shoulders for a bit, which he enjoyed as much as his wife enjoyed his foot rubs. Then after she was done and when she wasn't looking, he leaned forward as quickly as he could and kissed her affectionately on the cheek. She turned her head to him and giggled. "Oh, hun." They both laughed, and then they looked each other in the eyes. Grandma smiled lovingly at him. "Forty years we've been married together, and they've been the best years of my life. Had four kids, helped raise them, watched them leave the nest, and later saw the kids again with kids of their own. And, all with the aid of my most trusted partner and friend, my lover, and my soulmate, whom I believe I was destined to meet and be with for the rest of my life." Grandma paused for a moment, and then she resumed speaking with tender affection in her voice. "Thank you so much for giving me all those happy years, all those pleasant memories. You made me laugh so much, acted as the shoulder I cried on when I was sad, and stood by my side on more occasions that I can count and recall. You're the best husband I could ever ask for, dear."

Grandpa returned the affectionate look and took his wife's hand in his and gently squeezed it. "I feel the same way about you, hun."

Grandma smiled as she picked up two wooden cups by the nest, filled them with mineral water from a bottle kept by the nest too, handed one to Grandpa, and held up her glass. "To happier, loving years together."

"To happier, loving years together." Grandpa repeated. They brought their cups together and drank from them. After setting them down, Grandpa sighed. "Oh, come here you beautiful delicate creature!" Grandpa came forward to wrap his wings around Grandma, knocked her on her back in the nest, and began kissing her face, causing Grandma to laugh hysterically. "Oh, Grandpa!"

After he was done, Grandpa and Grandma Pteranodon just laid there in the nest side by side, Grandpa's wing still wrapped affectionately around Grandma.

"What do you say to having our daily afternoon nap together?"

"I think that sounds lovely, dear."

They both closed their eyes and listened to the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach while they waited for sleep to claim them.

"Hun?" Grandpa asked.

"Yes?" Grandma answered.

Silence, but only for a brief moment.

"I love you."

Grandma smiled. "I love you too, now and forever."

Grandpa chuckled. "Now and forever." He repeated before he and Grandma shared a loving kiss. Then they laid their heads down. It wasn't long before they both fell into a deep and relaxing sleep.

THE END

* * *

 **Happy Labor Day!**

 **~DTF**


End file.
